Blog about a woman cyclist reflecting mostly on cycling in a whole host of forms, including the odd adventure on or off the bike!
@2wheelchick

Sunday, 11 September 2016

One day one photo - 2: Women's paralympic cycling

Team GB enjoyed Olympic success in Rio, with a number of the medals coming from cycling. From the looks of things this success is being repeated in the Paralympics. Sarah Storey became the most decorated female paralympian when she won her 12th gold in the C5 3000m individual pursuit a couple of days ago.

Corrine Hall (left) with Lora Turnham

Then today, what made me take even more notice of the paracycling was when Corrine Hall piloted Lora Turnham to gold in the Women's B 3,000m individual pursuit. I am so pleased for both of them.

What is amazing is how I remember Corrine as teenager who would regularly turn up at the local track sessions at Herne Hill velodrome. Even back then Corrine was a strong rider who would regularly zoom past me and many others in the sprint races despite the organisers giving us a 100m head start! Corrine was pretty handy at cyclo cross as well and would regularly lap a sizeable chunk of the field. Other riders in Corrine's age group who were equally strong went on to try and get onto the Olympics development squad at British Cycling with varying degrees of success. What I admire about Corrine was she took a different route by training to become a pilot for blind/partially sighted riders.

So she has now got her just reward for being not only an incredibly strong and dedicated athlete, but also for the altruism she displayed in women's cycling. Congratulations Corrine!